Reusability of Ni₂Fe₃ Metal Catalyst for Upgrading Pyrolyzed Bio-Oil from Cellulose

Energy Science and Engineering, Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, Ookayama, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan

Abstract

Recyclable catalysts are desperately needed for upgrading pyrolyzed bio-oil which is produced from biomass conversion in order to reduce cost and protect the environment. However, most catalysts used for producing bio-oil from the pyrolysis of biomass cannot be recycled, leading to costly catalyst regeneration or waste if disposed of. In this study, Ni₂Fe₃ has been chosen as the model catalyst to test the recyclable property of the metal cluster catalyst system. Cellulose is used as the biomass model reactant. The results from pyrolysis experiments and GC-MS show that the catalytic property of Ni₂Fe₃ remains constant even after repeated experiments. From the analysis of bio-oil by GC-MS, the catalyst even shows slightly better performance with repeated use due to the pyrolytic interaction with cellulose during the experiment.